Hi Everyone,
I was recently diagnosed on 17th January 2014 at the time my vitals were:
age = 42
hba1c = 99
weight= 92kg
BMI = 30.7 (Obese)
knowledge level = zero
tiredness level = pretty high
exercise level = a round of golf once a week.
I had had a warning from the doctor in the summer of last year when I visited and had blood tests, at the time my hba1c was 68, weight 95kg. He told me I was borderline diabetes, gave me a hand out and told me that I needed to lose some weight. At this point I made a very half hearted attempt at losing some weight, but that was pretty much it. Then coming into the Christmas season my drinking/eating rose (particularly the drinking). I started needing to get up to go to the toilet a couple of times a night, feeling more and more tired. So I decided that I needed to stop putting my head in the sand delaying the inevitable and get back to the doctor.
At this point the doctor gave me the good news along with a whole long list of numbers that I really didn't understand or take in. Probably the only number I remembered was 99 hba1c, whilst this was high I was still in denial a bit putting it down to a heavy xmas period. I left the doctors that day with a prescription for Metformin, a couple more leaflets and an appointment with the diabetes nurse a few days later.
Said appointment with the diabetes nurse happened and whilst I can say she was helpful, I did come away slightly disappointed that I would not be allowed a BG tester as it would not make any difference to me. At my doctors practice they only give them to insulin patients because if I had a high reading what could I do about it?
Now, Im someone who is very motivated by numbers/targets etc and since reading this forum and also the wonderful book "The first year" by Gretchen Becker, I have started making a number of changes and using a number of different tools.
I am following a low carb diet (tescos diets got me going and just searching for recipes on the web)
I've bought myself a Pill box, to help me stop forgetting to take pills (or if I have taken them)
I have increased my exercise from virtually none to a little bit more - 2-3 gym sessions a week, burning 700-00 calories each time. (I wear a polar heart rate monitor)
I have in the last week or so invested in a BG tester - SD Codefree. It another number that I can record and also gives me an idea of how what Im eating can effect me. The SD Codefree has by far the cheapest strips out of them all and this is important when you are paying for them yourself.
I record everything on using www.mynetdiary.com (I dont like this quite as much as myfitnesspal.com, but this has the option for recording my BG).
Its still early days for me, but already I am starting to see the effects.
90% of my BG test are in the 5.6 to 7.2 range, its just the morning ones that can fluctuate above usually.
I am getting way more sleep and feeling much better for it.
My weight has dropped 87.5kg
No longer officially obese - BMI = 29.2 - just overweight now.
Still a long way to go, but I feeling extremely positive about it all and actually looking forward to my next checkup with the nurse in a months time.
Slightly apprehensive about having my eye test next week though, I've always had perfect eyesight and have been noticing that my vision can be a little blurry at times recently.
If anyone reading this has just been diagnosed, my one suggestion to you is read "The first year" by Gretchen Becker. I just wish the doctor/nurse had recommended it to me.
I was recently diagnosed on 17th January 2014 at the time my vitals were:
age = 42
hba1c = 99
weight= 92kg
BMI = 30.7 (Obese)
knowledge level = zero
tiredness level = pretty high
exercise level = a round of golf once a week.
I had had a warning from the doctor in the summer of last year when I visited and had blood tests, at the time my hba1c was 68, weight 95kg. He told me I was borderline diabetes, gave me a hand out and told me that I needed to lose some weight. At this point I made a very half hearted attempt at losing some weight, but that was pretty much it. Then coming into the Christmas season my drinking/eating rose (particularly the drinking). I started needing to get up to go to the toilet a couple of times a night, feeling more and more tired. So I decided that I needed to stop putting my head in the sand delaying the inevitable and get back to the doctor.
At this point the doctor gave me the good news along with a whole long list of numbers that I really didn't understand or take in. Probably the only number I remembered was 99 hba1c, whilst this was high I was still in denial a bit putting it down to a heavy xmas period. I left the doctors that day with a prescription for Metformin, a couple more leaflets and an appointment with the diabetes nurse a few days later.
Said appointment with the diabetes nurse happened and whilst I can say she was helpful, I did come away slightly disappointed that I would not be allowed a BG tester as it would not make any difference to me. At my doctors practice they only give them to insulin patients because if I had a high reading what could I do about it?
Now, Im someone who is very motivated by numbers/targets etc and since reading this forum and also the wonderful book "The first year" by Gretchen Becker, I have started making a number of changes and using a number of different tools.
I am following a low carb diet (tescos diets got me going and just searching for recipes on the web)
I've bought myself a Pill box, to help me stop forgetting to take pills (or if I have taken them)
I have increased my exercise from virtually none to a little bit more - 2-3 gym sessions a week, burning 700-00 calories each time. (I wear a polar heart rate monitor)
I have in the last week or so invested in a BG tester - SD Codefree. It another number that I can record and also gives me an idea of how what Im eating can effect me. The SD Codefree has by far the cheapest strips out of them all and this is important when you are paying for them yourself.
I record everything on using www.mynetdiary.com (I dont like this quite as much as myfitnesspal.com, but this has the option for recording my BG).
Its still early days for me, but already I am starting to see the effects.
90% of my BG test are in the 5.6 to 7.2 range, its just the morning ones that can fluctuate above usually.
I am getting way more sleep and feeling much better for it.
My weight has dropped 87.5kg
No longer officially obese - BMI = 29.2 - just overweight now.
Still a long way to go, but I feeling extremely positive about it all and actually looking forward to my next checkup with the nurse in a months time.
Slightly apprehensive about having my eye test next week though, I've always had perfect eyesight and have been noticing that my vision can be a little blurry at times recently.
If anyone reading this has just been diagnosed, my one suggestion to you is read "The first year" by Gretchen Becker. I just wish the doctor/nurse had recommended it to me.
